My interest in environmental sciences started in 2010 when I took part in the rehabilitation of the natural reserve “Riserva Naturale Lago di Burano” located on the Tyrrhenian coast in Tuscany (Italy). This area was severely threatened by the introduction of waste material due to irresponsible management by local authorities. Being proactive and motivated in this cause fuelled my decision to begin a BSc in Environmental Sciences at Oxford Brookes University first and recently complete a MSc in Climate Change at UCL. Through my experiences I gained increased interest towards multidisciplinary approach applied to environmental change projects. This led me towards my current PhD project: Understanding ocean deoxygenation in European shelf seas using a marine ecosystem model and isotope tools.
In marine environments oxygen concentration is influenced by multiple intercorrelated factors. Natural processes can cause the decline of oxygen concentration especially in bottom waters during seasonally paced stratification of the water column. Oxygen depletion is also triggered by high nutrient input that enhances the metabolic pathway within the biological community and its oxygen demand.
Significant downward trends in oxygen was identified in the Northern and Southern North Sea and English Channel. However, the same assessments denounced significant gaps in the data and monitoring practices, as well as unclear understanding of the interactions between physical, biological and climatological processes controlling oxygen.
The aim of this project is to address such issues and reduce the uncertainties using the ERSEM model and triple oxygen isotope combined.